Opel introduced the last generation of the Rekord, or Rekord E, in 1977 as a sedan, station wagon, or three-door station wagon.
Designed as a family sedan, the Rekord was a successful vehicle for the German carmaker. Even though it carried-over the drivetrain and the suspension from its predecessor, the design was far more evolved and helped the car sell in big numbers.

The E1 model, since it was before the 1982 facelift, featured squared headlights and a black grille with horizontal slats between them. Its raked, curved windshield and smoothed corners combined with long, straight lines made the car looks more upmarket in the BMW 5-Series segment. Its wide horizontal taillights were advertised as an advanced safety measure in the rear, and so were the rubber-padded chromed bumpers.

Inside, Opel installed bucket seats at the front and a bench in the rear to fit five adult-sized passengers inside. The square-looking instrument cluster featured big dials for the speedometer and tachometer and two additional gauges for the fuel tank and the coolant temperature. The design team installed another six light bars in the middle of the instrument panel to warn the driver of low oil pressure, low battery charging, etc. The power windows and the sunroof were on the options list.

Opel took most of the engines from the previous model under the hood, the Rekord D, but the 1.7-liter version was dropped.